One of the things that will take you by surprise the most when you’re moving is the actual cost of moving and storage. When contemplating a move, you probably considered a moving truck, packing materials, and gas to the new location. However, there’s a lot more to consider in a move, such as how to move large furniture, whether you even want to, and what to do with the things you don’t have room for. Learn the true cost of moving vs storage and decide if you want to take it or leave it.
Types of Moving Services
If you’re moving, you can choose to do it alone or hire a company to help out. There are several types of moving packages to choose from that are typically made up of some combination of three types of moving services.
- Self Moving Services: This is where you rent the trucks, pack them yourself, drive to your new location, and do all the unpacking yourself as well.
- Full Moving Service: The moving company provides the packing materials, packs for you, transports your belonging to your new home, and unpacks it all for you. Full moving services are available for both local and interstate moves.
- Car Shipping Service: This service will take your vehicle to your new location.
Cost of Moving
For a full-service local move, you can expect to pay anywhere from $80 to $150 per hour and should typically get one truck, packing materials, and three men for this price. A typical example of the cost for a three-bedroom home is from $650 to $1,000 for a local move.
Long distance moves are generally charged by weight. Expect to pay from $.60 to $1 per pound for moves farther than 2,500 miles. A cross country move for a 3-bedroom home can cost as low as $3,000 to more than $10,000 depending on the company and the weight of your belongings.
The cost for car shipping services is determined by the condition of the car, the type of car, how many cars are involved, the distance, and type of enclosure needed.
A self-move can save you up to 35% since you’re only paying for the truck and the packing materials. For an example, U-haul charges $20 per day for trailers and $40 per day for its trucks. You’re allotted a certain number of miles and will be billed $.40 per mile if you go over that amount.
What About Storage?
There may be certain times when it’s more convenient to store rather than move your belongings. For example:
- You have new furniture that you won’t be able to get into your new home for awhile.
- You have seasonal items or items you won’t need for awhile. They may be better left in storage until they’re needed or you’re fully moved into your home.
- You’re planning on selling some of your large items rather than move them and want to wait until it’s a good selling time. For instance, a motorcycle may not sell quickly in the winter.
- Your house is sold before you can move into your new home.
Storage companies generally offer boxes they call vaults. A typical vault that stores about 1,500 pounds can cost you from $50 to $60 per month, and this is for each vault. They may also charge per cubic feet; $1 per foot is typical. If you’re hiring professional movers, ask them before paying for separate storage because they often provide free storage for up to 30 days.
